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      Monterey Pop

      Now Playing 1h 20m Documentary Music List
      96% 26 Reviews Tomatometer 90% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although not all musicians who performed at the Monterey Pop Festival are on film, some of the notable acts include the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Otis Redding, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix's post-performance antics -- lighting a guitar on fire, breaking it and tossing a part into the audience -- are captured. Read More Read Less Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets

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      Critics Reviews

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      Tom Long Detroit News Like the time and artists it captures "Monterey Pop" is imperfect, yet vital. Rated: B Jul 7, 2017 Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star It really was a special moment. Rated: 3/4 Jun 15, 2017 Full Review Melissa Anderson Village Voice The effect is one of estranging intimacy, bringing us impossibly near to these sublime beings onstage and yet somehow ensuring that they remain forever mysterious, magical, and untouchable. Jun 14, 2017 Full Review Paul Schrader Los Angeles Free Press All that is left of the original Pennebaker method is the shell of technique. But anyone can emulate cinema-verite's shakey, grainy style. Jan 23, 2020 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture So why does Monterey Pop still resonate 50 years later, especially with music documentaries so common? Mainly, it captures a time and place where legends of rock signaled the possibility for change, for peace. Aug 14, 2019 Full Review Sean Mulvihill FanboyNation.com Pennebaker condenses the there-day festival into a single 80-minute documentary that gives each major act a moment in the spotlight, as well as highlight just how eclectic the lineup of the festival was. Rated: 4/5 Oct 31, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      sean s It is so neat to have a time capsule of this. I will not write what has not already been written in past reviews. If I had a time machine, I would have liked to gone to that festival no doubt. Film was a very limited documenting process at that time, because it was so expensive, limited to get enough of it in supply and a hassle to shoot, process and edit. I bet you that only 10 percent of the good stuff was captured on film of that three day festival. Some of the great bands that played there weren't even filmed and some of the best songs of the bands who were filmed were not included in the movie but that said, it is a neat view of the times and I appreciated seeing some of the footage of the crowds also that are now just very distant memories from my childhood back in those days. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review andres s I love all the candid footage of the festival. It really was a different time back then seeing everyone enjoy themselves and actually be happy. It's also interesting to see all the weirdos that attended the concert like that one girl with the dog. She was chewing on some food and then spat it out meanwhile giving her dog the same food that she's eating. Very riveting seeing all the raw and passionate performances from all the musicians that played that day. The way the camera zooms in on the face to almost an uncomfortable level makes it even more intense and mesmerizing to watch. Wow, man Janis Joplin is fucking electric to watch. She's got so much pain in her that it just comes out in her singing, you can feel it. She really was an amazing artist. The Who were fucking crazy chaotic lmao, I loved it! They really didn't give a fuck. And seeing Pete smash his guitar was amazing. Jimi Hendrix was another one of those artists that just pulls you in, grabbing your attention and never letting go. He was a fucking guitar wizard, and rightfully so deserves to wear all those crazy colorful outfits. His unpredictable and wild performance on stage is always mesmerizing to watch. He was definitely a showman, a magician, even a wizard. So crazy how he lit his guitar on fire and then smashed it. But also gave out some of the pieces of his guitar to the audience. What a fucking legend. What a wonderful way to end the whole movie with Ravi Shankar. They did an amazing job at keeping the flow of the performances so that one either contrasts or complements the next one. It keeps the whole movie from becoming stale or boring. This whole movie was very exciting to watch. So many iconic and memorable moments in rock history within this movie. They did a wonderful job putting the whole film together. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Although a tad brief and short on performances considering all the acts who were there, it is still an essential document and concert film Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review dave s Unlike the film Woodstock, which heavily stressed the cultural component of the festival, Monterrey Pop is pretty much all about the music. In light of the fact the filming concerts and festivals was a fairly unrefined art at the time, the visuals in D.A. Pennebaker's film are surprisingly crisp and the sound quality is remarkably clear. The lineup is top notch, highlighted by Mama Cass reacting with disbelief as Janis Joplin wows the crowd with Ball and Chain, Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire at the end of an incendiary version of Wild Thing, and Otis Redding singing a touching rendition of I've Been Loving You Too Long. Monterey Pop is an amazing viewing experience from start to finish. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Isaiah Y Great documentary on one of the most iconic festivals in music history Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/21 Full Review delysid d even the crappiest bands of the 60s were better than the best bands of today. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/17/20 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Monterey Pop

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although not all musicians who performed at the Monterey Pop Festival are on film, some of the notable acts include the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Otis Redding, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix's post-performance antics -- lighting a guitar on fire, breaking it and tossing a part into the audience -- are captured.
      Director
      D.A. Pennebaker
      Distributor
      Leacock-Pennebaker
      Production Co
      The Foundation
      Genre
      Documentary, Music
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 26, 1968, Original
      Rerelease Date (Theaters)
      Jun 14, 2017
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jul 9, 2017
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $1.5K
      Runtime
      1h 20m
      Sound Mix
      Surround, Stereo
      Aspect Ratio
      35mm
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